Street car grab handle



March 14, 1950 D. E. JOHNSON STREET CAR GRAB HANDLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 15, 1948 Doha/0 E. Jqhnson INVENT R BY M ATTORNEYS March 14, 1950 D. E. JOHNSON 2,500,415

STREET CAR GRAB HANDLE Filed March 15, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dona/o E. Johnson INVENTOR MW/M ATTORN EYS March 14, 1950 D. E. JOHNSON STREET CAR GRAB HANDLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 15, 1.948

JNVEN TOR. Dona/d E. Johnson AT T ORNE Y5 l atented Mar. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE 18 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved grab handle for use in street cars, buses, and other vehicles and the like.

Grab handles in public conveyances are subject to much abuse in addition to the stresses imposed by the ordinary use for which they are intended. The forms of such abuse regularly inflicted on public conveyances is almost unlimited in variety and unbelievable in severity. Much substantial and apparently durable equipment has had to be discarded or replaced because it could be out too easily with a pocket knife or broken or otherwise damaged or taken apart by passengers, either for the purpose of obtaining souvenirs or to satisfy an apparently irrepressible juvenile desire to take things apart. In designing equipment for public use, it has become necessary to render the equipment reasonably incapable of such destruction as may be wrought by pocket knives or pulling, twisting or jerking of the equipment, so that the equipment cannot be damaged or rendered unfit for service by the efforts of a fairly powerful person. Grab handles heretofore used in public conveyances have been particularly susceptible to such abuse and have caused a great deal of expense and annoyance to the operators of the conveyances in maintaining the equipment in serviceable condition.

Objects of the present invention, therefore, are to provide a novel and improved grab handle which not only has ample strength for its intended purpose, but which also is specially designed to withstand the extreme abuse which is to be expected of such equipment on a public conveyance, to provide a grab handle of limited flexibility so that it will yield to twisting and bending stresses without breaking, but which is not long enough or flexible enough to allow it to be wrapped around its support or other object to increase the destructive leverage of any force applied thereto, and to provide a grab handle which, although unusually rugged and durable, is attractive and pleasing to the eye and can be made to harmonize with the interior trim of the vehicle in which it is used.

With these and other objects in view, the invention further resides in the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown in certain preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying dawings. however, that the drawings are not intended to limit the invention as the same may take other forms, all modifications within the scope of the appended claims being included in the invention.

In the drawings:

It is to be understood,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a grab handle embodying the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective and sectional view showing a hand grip made entirely of synthetic plastic material, taken on the line 22 of Figure 6;

Figure 3 shows a modified form of hand grip similar to Figure 2 but including a steel core, the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 17;

Figure 4 shows another form of hand grip formed from metallic tubing;

Figure 5 is an exploded elevation view showing the component parts of the device illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a view of the device of Figure 1 with parts shown in section illustrating the flexibility of the device;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the anchor member for the hand grip;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the cover members for the upper end of the hand p;

Figure 9 is a sectional view of one form of connector fitting used on the end of the flexible link;

Figure 10 is asectional viewof a modified form of connector fitting;

Figure 11 is a sectional view showing a different manner of anchoring the upper end of the flexible cable link in the support member;

Figure 12 is a sectional view showing a modi fied form of anchor member for the hand grip;

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a modified form of shell member for the hand grip;

Figure 14 shows a combined anchor and housing member for supporting the hand grip;

Figure 15 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line i5i5 in Figure 12;

Figure 16 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 16-46 in Figure 14; and

Figure 17 is a view with parts shown in section of a complete handle embodying features shown in various detail views.

In general, the invention comprises a hand grip member suspended by a link from a support member which may comprise a clamp or part of a clamp adapted for mounting on a horizontal rod or bar extending along the vehicle in an out-of-the-way position. In the preferred embodiments herein illustrated, the link comprises a short length of flexible steel cablehaving a ball connector fitting on one or both ends thereof to provide a flexible swivel and universal connection between the hand grip and the supporting member. The cable link is preferably enclosed within a length of resilient tubular material which is mounted in end compression between the hand grip and the supporting member to prevent looseness of the parts and to prevent a passenger from grasping the cable itself. The tubular covering for the cable link also improves the appearance of the fixture and in creases the stifiness of the link to some extent. By making the link from a piece of cable thus enclosed, it is still flexible but cannot be broken by bending, and by virtue of the swivel connection the hand grip may be freely twisted and articulated in all directions. The cable link, however, is preferably made quite short so that the 7 hand grip cannot be wrapped around the support to exert an undue leverage on the parts. The present grab handle in the various forms illustrated is thus not only amply strong to support the dead weight of a person hanging on the strap, but is also unusually resistant to any efiorts to cut, break, or dismantle the equipment.

Referring-now to the drawings, the numeral l designates a horizontal pipe or rod which is usually mounted on brackets considerably higher than the heads of standing passengers. At intervals on this rod are clamped supports 3 for individual strap hangers having hand grips suspended within reach of the passengers by suspension members 9. The hand grip itself may take various forms as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4. The numeral it designates an attractive form of hand grip made of-a looped strip of tough, transparent, synthetic plastic material having a width and thickness providing ample stretch for this purpose.

The hand grip ii in Figure 3 is similar to the grip it, except that it is provided with a longitudinal internal cavity to receive a metal band 12. To facilitate bending of the hand grip to the shape shown, the plastic strip may be extruded with a central cavity to receive the reinforcing strip l2 loosely to provide for relative movement of the two strips in the bending operation. The strip i2 of course, be molded into the strip II as an integral part thereof if it can then be bent to the desired shape in that form.

The hand grip 13 in Figure 4 is made of aluminum tubing or the like, having flattened ends. Recognizing that the above and still other forms of hand grip are equivalent for the general purpose of the present invention, the device will be described with reference to the first mentioned grip it as this form or grip is illustrated in the other figures of the drawings.

The grip i6 is formed into a loop, as shown, having two ends l5 which are clamped between the arms of a U-shaped anchor member it. A pair of channel-shaped shell or cover members i? are applied to opposite sides of the member 56 to enclose both this member and the ends 15, and all of these parts are provided with a pair of holes 18 to receive a pair of special bolts and nuts 19, i903, or other suitable securing means. When bolts and nuts are used, the nuts it have smooth circular heads which cannot be gripped by wrench or pliers, and after assembly the screw driver slots in the heads of the bolts 18 are preferably filled with solder to prevent unauthorized removal. Rivets may be used in place of ,the bolts and nuts i8, iii. The same fastening arrangement is used for the other types of handles shown in Figures 3 and 4. In the hand grip i the spaced holes 48 are drilled through both strips H and 82 after bending.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the suspension member, generally indicated at 9, embodies a link 20 which is preferably a short length of flexible steel cable. Afiixed to the ends of this cable are swivel connector fittings 2! which may take various forms. The form of connector fitting shown in Figure 9 has a tapered bore 22 to receive the end of the cable and a relatively thin-walled neck or sleeve portion 23 extending for some length along the cable and adapted to be swaged tightly on the cable so that the cable will not pull out of the litting under great tension. One end of the fitting is enlarged in the form of a partial sphere or ball to seat in an apertured socket in a support or anchor member.

Another form of connector fitting 2 la is shown in Figure 10, having a.hemispherical ball portion-Zita formed on one end of a neck 23a which is adapted to fit the cable 26. The fitting Zia thus comprises a shell into which the end of the cable may be inserted in the manner shown with the variousstrands of the cable separated and spread apart in the cup of the hemispherical ball portion 24d. Molten solder 25 is then poured into the cup to anchor the fitting securely to the end of the cable.

The U -shaped anchorv member I6 is provided with a generally hemispherical socket 26 to receive the ball end of the connector fitting and an aperture or opening 2'! through which the neck portion of the fitting extends. The hemispherical socket 26 is preferably shaped to fit the ball end 24 or 24a on the connector fitting, and the opening -21 is preferably considerably larger in diameter than the neckportion 23 or 2311, so that the fitting not only can twist or swivel in the socket, but can also rock to a con siderable angle in all directions to provide for limited universal movement as shown in Figure 6. The neck portion 23 or 2311 of the connector fitting extends far enough along the cable to prevent the cable from being cut or worn by the edges of the opening 2?v in any possible position of the parts.

In a similar manner, a connector fitting 2i or am on the upper end ofthe cable provides for suspension from the supportingmember 8. The supporting member 8 comprises two mating and complementary semi-cylindrically grooved parts 29 and 3% adapted to be clamped together by bolts 3! or the like, to embrace and be supported by the pipe or rod 7, as shown. The under side of the part 39 of the supporting member is provided with a cavity forming a generally hemispherical socket 23 to receive the ball end of the connector fitting and an opening 32 for the neck of the fitting, theopening 32 being substantially larger in diameter than the neck of the fitting to permit both swiveling and limited universal movement of the fitting in the socket as shown in Figure 6.

In an alternative form of support member 3% shown in Figure llythe upper end of the cable is anchored solidly in the support member, and then onlythe lower end of the cable is provided with a connector fitting 2! or 2hr for swiveling and universal movement. In this embodiment the strands of the-upper end of the cable are separated and spread out in the socket 33, and the latter is thenfilled with molten lead or other material toprovide a firm anchor for the upper end of the cable, so that even under great tension it will not pull out of the support member. In this embodiment the opening 32a in the support member is preferably made to fit the cable, since there is not intended to be any movement between the cable and the support member. It is, of course, apparent that the upper end of the cable may be provided with a connector fitting 28 or 2 la to swivel and have universal movement in the socket 28 as shown in Figure 6, with the lower end of the cable leaded in the socket 23 of the anchor member IE, but, in any event, the cable link 20 should have a connector fitting on at least one end for swiveling and universal movement. The ability of the connector fitting to swivel is more important than its universal movement because the cable itself is sufficiently flexible to bend without any universal movement in the connector fittings. It is necessary to have at least one swivel connection in the strap hanger between the hand grip l0 and the support 8 so that the cable strands will not be loosened or broken if the hand grip i0 is forcibly twisted.

In assembling the parts, a tough but resilient and flexible tubular protective member 35 is placed on the cable link 20 under considerable end compression between the supporting member 31? and the anchor member I6. At its upper end the tubular member 35 bears quite forcibly against the end of a boss 36 which contains the socket 2B and opening 32. At its lower end the member 35 bears forcibly against the outer surface of the rim of opening 21 and socket 26 in the anchor member l6, and may also bear against inturned flanges 31 on the cover members IT.

The compressed tubular member 35 has a number of functions. It covers the cable link 20 to prevent a persons hands from coming into contact with possibly broken strands in the cable. It prevents pinching of a persons hands between the neck of the connector fitting and the edge of the socket 26 or opening 21 if the hand grip is bent upwardly while in a persons grasp at that point. A still further and important function of the tubular covering 35 is to lend additional stiffness to the cable 20 so that it cannot be forcibly bent into a sharp kink which would damage the cable. If the hand grip I0 is recklessly or wantonly bent upwards with great force, as shown in Figure 6, there will be some angular movement at each of the connector fit,- tings 2i and uniform bending throughout the length of the cable 26, but by making the tube 35 sufficiently thick and tough it will be impossible with human strength to kink the cable 20 to such a short radius that it would be damaged. In addition to the resistance to bending offered by the mere thickness and stiffness of the tube 35, it will be apparent that the additional longitudinal compression of this tube on the inside of the bend will further resist extreme bending. The relaxed length of the tube 35 before it is installed should be long enough so that when the grab handle is bent as shown in Figure 6 the end portions of this tube on the outside of the bend will not pull away from the boss 36 or rim of opening 2?. Pinching or other injury to a persons hand or skin is thereby substantially prevented, even under rather extreme abuse of the equipment, and the equipment itself is rendered practically indestructible. The tube 35 may be rendered more resistant to cutting by reinforcing it with fabric or wire in a well known manner. V

The compressed resilient tube 35 has a still further function in holding the parts rather 'stiffly' in a vertical position to prevent swinging or rattling of the strap hangers in a moving or jolting vehicle. The compressed condition of this tubular member normally holds the parts under tension to take up all slack in the connector fittings to prevent rattling, and so the desired swiveling and universal movements may be obtained without machining the surfaces by merely making the ball connector sockets large enough for a loose fit. Obviating machining and close tolerances reduces the cost of the parts.

The hand grip member may be mounted or anchored in difierent ways. Figures 12 and 15 show a modified form of construction which is particularly suited for use with the all plastic form of the hand grip l 0 shown in Figure 2. The

hand grip member I0 is a thick, flat strap of tough plastic material similar to the hand grip in Figure 5 except that the outer faces of the upper ends 40 are transversely grooved to provide a series of lugs 4| for supporting the strap in a modified form of U-shaped anchor member 42 having similar grooves to form co-mating and supporting shoulders 43. The upper end of the anchor member 42 is providedwith a socket 26 for the ball end connector fitting 21 in the same manner as the previously described anchor member l6.

For convenience in assembling, the lugs 4| and shoulders 43 may be proportioned with respect to the thickness of the hand grip strip and the internal clearance in the anchor member so that the end portions 40 may be squeezed together and inserted into the bottom of the anchor member as a final step in the assembly of the whole device after the cable and its connector fittings and external sheath 35 have all been assembled. After the ends 40 of the hand grip have been inserted in the anchor member in the proper position for the lugs M to engage above the shoulders 43, a wedge or spacing member 44 is inserted between the ends 40 to spread them apart and maintain a secure interlocking grip between the toothlike lugs and shoulders on the parts, as shown. Before insertion, the wedge 44 is preferably coated with some material to bond it to the grip member. Where the parts are made. of synthetic plastic material, the wedge may be dipped in acetone or other solvent for the plastic which will form a strong bond when the wedge is pressed into place. The transverse lugs 4| and shoulders 43 may, of course, have other shapes to accomplish the purpose.

Figure 13 shows a modified form of housing 45 for the upper end of the hand grip to take the place of the two shell parts I1. When the onepiece housing 45 is used with the modification shown in Figure 12, the holes I 8 may be omitted, since the bolts l9 are not used in this embodiment.

The one piece form of housing 45 shown in Figure l3 may be made to serve as the anchor member itself so that a separate anchor member It or 42 is not required. This is accomplished by making the housing 45 of heavier and stronger construction to constitute a strength member for suspending the hand grip from the link 20. In such case, the socket 23 is formed directly in the end of housing 45. The hand grip is then secured either by the use of bolts l9 through holes I 8 in the housing, or by the provision of shoulders 43 in the housing to engage lugs 4| on the ends of the hand grip. One example of the latter form of construction is embodied in the anchor and housing'm'ember 50 shown in Figures- 14 and 16.

Figure 17 shows an'embodiment of handle utiand metal parts H and i2, so that it is not'necessa-ry to bond the plastic to the metal; Figure 13 shows a general view of the housing 45. The anchor for the cable 20 in the support 30a is described in connectionwith Figure 11.

Still other arrangements for securing the hand grip member, within-the scope of the presentinventiomwill occur topersons skilled in the art.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A street car grab handle and the like comprising a support, a flexible link having one end mounted in saidsupport, a'hand grip mounted on the other end of said-link, and a flexible tubular protective sheath mounted on said link in end compressionbetween said support and said hand grip.

2. A street car grab handle and the like comprising a support having a-semicylindrioal groove to be clamped on a cylindrical member, a socket in said groove, a hand grip, a link for suspending said hand grip from said support, means for mounting one end of said link in said socket, means for mounting the other end of said link in said hand grip, one of said mounting means comprising a ball and socket connection for lim-- ited universal movement, and a tubular protective sheath around said link.

3. Astreet oar grab handle and the like comprising :a support; a hand grip, a'ball end flexible link for-suspending said" hand grip from said support, means for mountingone end of said link in said support, means for mounting "the other end of said link in said hand grip; one of said mounting means comprising a socket for universal and swivelmovement of said ballend;

and a flexible tubuiar protective sheath around saidlink.

4. A street car grab handle and the like cornprising'a support, a hand grip, a flexible link for suspending "said hand grip from' said support, means for mounting one end of said link insaid support, means for mounting the other end of said link in said hand grip, one' of said mounting means comprising a swivel connection, and a resilient'tubular protective sheath a protective neck portion forming a sleeve sur rounding said link and extending for a distance along said link.'

6. A street car grab handle and thelike comprising a support member, a hand-grip member, alink for suspending said hand grip member from said support member, means for mounting one end of said link in-said support member, means 1 for mounting the other end-of said link-insaidhand gripmember: one of said mounting means comprising a 'ball' connector on said link adapted for universal and swivel movement, and a protective sleeve-on saidball connector surrounding said linkto prevent said member from damaging said link.

7. A street car grab handle and the like comprising a support member, a hand grip member,

a flexible cable link for suspending said hand grip 'memberirom said support member, means fonmounting'one end of said'cable link in said support member, means for mounting the other end*of-said cable-link in said hand grip mem-- ber, one'of said'mounting means comprising a swivel connector integral with saidlink, a pro-' tective sleeve onsaid swivel connector extending along said cablalink' to prevent contact between said link and said member, and a flexible tubular protective'sheath on said cable link.

8. A-street car grab handle and the like comprising-a support member, a hand grip member, a flexible cable link" for suspending said hand grip member from said support member, and a resilient tubular "sheath" mounted on said cable linkin end compression between said members to tension the parts and prevent kinking'of said cable link.

9. A support member having an apertured socket, a hand grip member having an aperturedother end-of said-link and-seated in said socket,

said connector'fittinghaving a reduced neck portion passing through'saidaperture with clearanceto provide auniversal and swivel connection between said link and saidmember.

ll. A-street-car grab handle and the like comprising a support having an apertured socket, a hand grip having end portions clamped between the armsof a clamping-member, an apertured socket insaid clamping member, and a link having 'ballends seated in said-sockets and extend-- ing through 1 said apertures.

12. A streetcar grab "handle and the like comprising 'asupport member having a semicylindrical grooveand an apertured socket in one side of said'groovefahand grip member'having an apertured'socket, and a'fiexible suspending link having ball ends seated in'said'sockets and ex-' tending through said apertures.

13. Astreet car grab "handle and the like comprising a support member havingan apertured socket, a hand grip member having an apertured socket; a suspending link having opposite ball ends seatedin said sockets and extending through said apertures, and aresilient tubular sheath-mountedon said connector link in'end compression between said' members to prevent loosenessof the parts;-

14. Ina-"street car grab handle and the like, a supporting"member" having a semioylindrical groove to fita cylindrical member, means to clamp said supporting member on said cylindrical member; an 1 apertured socket in said supporting member,- a cablelinkhaving'a 'ba'll end fitting seated in said socket and extending through said aperture, and a hand grip on said cable'- link.

15. In a street car grab handle and the like having a handle part suspended by a link from an overhead rod, a supporting member for the handle, said member having ends with means for clamping the member on the rod, a transverse groove in one side of the member at its mid portion between said ends to fit said rod, a socket cavity in said groove to receive an enlarged end on said link for limited universal movement, and an opening for said link in the opposite side of the member at its mid portion communicating with said socket cavity to accommodate the universal movement of the link.

16. In a street car grab handle and the like, a hand grip comprising a strip of plastic material constituting a strength member and having a longitudinal internal cavity, a metallic reinforcing strip in said cavity, an anchor member receiving the two ends of said strip, and means extending through transverse openings in said strips and anchor member to clamp the parts together and support said hand grip in the form of a loop of said plastic strip with both said plastic strip and said reinforcing strip individually supported by said means extending through said transverse openings.

17. In a street car grab handle and the like,a hand grip comprising a looped strip of material having end portions extending in the same direction, an anchor member for securing said end portions in side by side relation, lugs on said end portions, shoulders on said anchor member arranged to engage said lugs to anchor said hand grip, and means insertable in the assembly of said anchor member and hand grip end portions for wedging said lugs and shoulders into tight engagement.

18. In a street car grab handle and the like, a hand grip comprising a looped strip of material having end portions extending in parallel relation, an anchor member receiving said end portions, lugs on the outer sides of said end portions, inwardly directed shoulders in said anchor member for engaging and supporting said lugs, and a member disposed between said end portions to spread said end portions apart and maintain the interengagement of said lugs and shoulders.

DONALD E. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 250,112 Truitt Nov. 29, 1881 952,927 McCarthy 'Mar.' 22, 1910 1,373,746 Lewis et al. Apr. 5, 1921 2,099,950 Whitehead et al. Nov. 23, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 250,980 Great Britain Nov. 1, 1923 304,925 Great Britain Jan. 31, 1929 359,281 Great Britain Oct. 22, 1931 

